(Courtesy: Siddhartha Thapa)
The announcement of elections date is a bold step. However, it is pertinent to question whether or not elections are possible at this point of time. Unfortunately, the ground reality is vastly different from what our leaders actually think. The law and order situation is appalling and as a consequence the country is moving towards a political crisis.
The Maoists who have supposedly quit violence have failed to mend their ways. In the past year, they have attempted to seize power and overwhelm the state on three occasions. After the King ceded power to the political parties last April, they tried to cash in the lawlessness situation by brewing further anarchy and positioned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around Kathmandu valley at strategic points. But fortunately, the international community threw their weight behind the Koirala government and intervened aggressively to foil a probable Maoist take-over.
In tangent with their desired objective, the Maoists made a second attempt to seize power early this winter when the Prime Minister’s health was known to be bleak. The latest attempt to seize power was after it became apparent that the government was in position to conduct elections on the 20th of June. Instead of taking collective responsibility for the failure to conduct elections in June, the Maoists made the PM the scapegoat and concurrently created serious disturbances throughout the country. But, the media came against the Maoists and influenced public opinion against them.
The Maoists are desperate to buoy the international community in their favor. Although their goals are intact to nationalise private properties and stringently regulate the economy of the country; they have been forced to restrain themselves. Nonetheless, the move is a tactical one that aims to deceive the international community. The rumours suggesting a change of hearts in Maoists’ thought regarding Melamchi is nothing but a strategic move on their part to delude the international community by demonstrating they are reasonable.
Yet another dangerous move that might have gone unnoticed is the recent posting of 43 police personnel in key positions by the home minister on the recommendation of Prachanda. The police personnel who have been posted would have undoubtedly given assurance to the Maoists demonstrating their loyalty and vice versa. The Home Minister continues to keep his job and it becomes obvious that politicians south of the border - Yechury, SD Muni and the Maoists in Nepal form a pressure group in support of the home minister.
The Maoist leadership keeps insisting they have retracted from violent politics and commited themselves to multiparty politics. On the contrary, if for some reason they are unhappy with other political parties or want to incite their cadres, the senior leaders shamelessly threaten stir and thunder they have not deviated from their desired objective of one party communist republic. If the leadership situation is grim, the law and order situation is worse in the country.
The Maoists have bought time due to the incompetence and the lethargy of UNMIN arms management process. The 27,000 new recruits in the PLA camps have had enough sheltered time to comprehend the basic use of arms and combat. Although Pushpa Dahl and Bhattarai highlight the good work the YCL are said to be doing, in reality however, it is a mere façade to conceal all the dirty work they are currently involved in.
For instance, the killing of a NC –D worker in Jumla by YCL is an elaborate example of their ‘good work.’ The press conference in Dhading by Laxman Tharu, a former Maoist leader, who disclosed that the Maoists have hidden arms, is symbolic; and it ties in with the increased YCL recruitment drive that is aimed at recruiting at ex-Gurkhas and former disgruntled retired army and police low ranking staff.
Unfortunately, although everyone acknowledges the political crisis is taking a turn for the worse, the government fails to generate adequate political will to avert a major political crisis. If Koirala fails to initiate political moves to counter Maoist tactics that will contain them within the frame work of the constitution, they will continue to operate as an extra constitutional force and will be tempted to consistently explore alternative avenues to overwhelm the state. Therefore, it is imperative that Koirala has a viable deterrence strategy.
However, herein lies the contradiction. Koirala has gambled his political career by compromising with former terrorists and his interest is to give space to all political forces in the country. On the other hand, the desired objective of the Maoists contravenes with what Koirala is trying to achieve. The Maoists are using the interim phase as a catalyst to storm into power and establish one party communist republic that defies the norms of multi-party politics and constitutional liberalism. In conclusion, it becomes a necessity for the eight party alliance to give up personal and party interests and create national consensus in the interest of the nation to safe guard democracy by conducting free and fair elections.
Related Posts:
On the Unholy Alliance with Maoism
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-unholy-alliance-with-maoism.html
Electoral Alliance and the Shifting Political Paradigm in Nepal
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/05/electoral-alliance-and-shifting.html
Dreams of Dominance Collide With Reality
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/05/dreams-of-dominance-collide-with.html
A Democratic Alliance, Accountable to the People
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/05/democratic-alliance-accountable-to.html
After a Year of "Loktantra" - Is it finally time for a Democratic Alliance?
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/04/after-year-of-loktantra-is-it-finally.html
3 comments:
I don't want to nit pick, but I think the term "succubus" is more appropriate than "incubus".
Posting this everywhere- people do the same. Lets unmask the terrorist.
Maoists Transfer Nepalese Money from India to Switzerland
By Halshi Bash
I am a Swiss national and practice Buddhism. I have been to Lumbini, Nepal, the birth place of Siddharta Gautama and other places like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lukla, Gorkha and several Himalayan regions, many times. I love Nepal the way Nepalese do.
The reason I have so much affection towards Nepal may be because my professor and mentor, the late Tony Hagen, renowned economist and very popular with Nepalese people, loveed Nepal more than his own country, Switzerland. He never tired of talking about Nepal.
Though I am a native of Zurich, the German speaking city of Switzerland, I am currently residing in Rue de Rhone (Rhone lane or avenue) of Geneva, the French speaking part of the Swiss confederation. I have been here three years because of my employment contract with the Swiss Bank, "Credit Suisse". All of Switzerland's major banks are located within walking distance.
It is the reason most of the employees of different banks come to a very popular eatery, "cafe de Geneve" to have their breakfast and lunch. At these times, we always try to outsmart our colleagues and friends of different banks by initiating a very hot or new item of talk. Swiss tradition is that whoever has a new or very hot topic is considered to be a smarter than the others. But the topic should be genuine and authentic. Anyone can lose his or her image for a whole lifetime if he or she tells an unreliable story. So, the Swiss people have a habit of speaking based on authenticity.
Very recently, we were all outsmarted by our friends at another bank. I was particularly shocked because the topic was related to Nepal, my dream country and by faith my mother country because Buddhism was born in Nepal.
The very hot item of talk was so shocking that if the people of Nepal listened to it, they would have a million watt electric shock. The leaders of the Maoist Party including ministers of the present Nepal Government, namely, Prachanda (Pushpa K. Dahal), Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Krishna Mahara, Hishila Yami and others were here to transfer a huge amount of money from Indian Banks to major Swiss Banks. The amount of that money is even more shocking because it is in the hundreds of million Euros. If the people of Nepal ask the Swiss Government, it can influence the Swiss Banks for the disclosure of the amounts and the account holders.
For my part, as a person having deep affection towards Nepal, I will do my best to find things in details but the Nepali people should understand my limitations as an Assistant Manager. The Nepali people should ask the Swiss Government to freeze the money as soon as possible otherwise the Swiss politicians could be bribed by the Banks to keep the Bank's secrecy.
It has also been said that some European Union members are helping the Maoists to transfer money to Swiss Banks. Why are the capitalist western countries helping extremist radical Maoists is beyond my understanding which could be a good subject of research for the people of Nepal.
Halshi Bash
Geneve, Switzerland (CH)
SPAM creating a "national consensus" for the good of the country and to ensure the CA elections - a tall order, I'm afraid. An alliance which cannot even agree on the long-pending ambassadorial appointments and the incessant talks between Girija and Deuba regarding unifying NC are examples of how ineffective SPAM is on the issue of consensus.
The only hope is for the immediate creation of a "Democratic Alliance", to counter the Maoist threat and to present the opportunity to Nepalis of a truly multi-party democracy after the CA elections. Who's going to bell the cat? The PM? I doubt it. Perhaps another senior political leader with a SPAM-less background?
Post a Comment